Refrigerator shelf construction



March 17, 1942. w l D|BBLE 2,276,942

REFRIGERATOR SHELF CONSTRUCTION Filed March 1'7, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l I WiZ/zs Z3. 15516,

March 17, 1942.

W. B. DIBBLE REFRIGERATOR SHELF CONSTRUCTION Filed March 17, 1941 2 She eis-Sheet 2 R awe/14M Wi'llals B. Dabble,

Patented Mar. 17, 1942 UNlTED STATES ATENT QFFICE 2,276,942 e REFRIGERATOR SHELF CONSTRUCTION Willis B. Dibble, Detroit, Mich. Application March '17, 1941, Serial No. 383,846

1 Claim.

The invention has for an object to present a shelf mounting for use in refrigerators, cupboards or other storage closets and the like, by which any shelf may be drawn entirely without the closure so that articles may be lifted therefrom at the rear part without disturbing those in front. It is a special purpose of the invention to present a construction of this nature which will be extremely simple in form and adapted to be produced at a low cost.

An especially important aim of the invention is to present such construction which will be liable in a minimum degree to accumulate dirt, fungus, and the like, and which may be readily dismantled to permit thorough cleansing of all surfaces. 1

Another object of theinvention is to present a mounting of this kind which will be extremely durable and strong, and liable in a minimum degree to derangement in the course of ordinary use.

A further important aim of the invention is to enable the utilization of various forms of wire racks, such as are found desirable in refrigerators, and to present a device which will occupy a minimum of room in a refrigerator, and which may be attached to ordinary refrigerator walls without modification of the construction of refrigerators as conventionally practiced.

Additional objects, advantages and features of 3? invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in. the embodiment of the invention, as will be more readily understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front view of a refrigerator in which my invention is incorporated.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the refrigerator with the shelf retracted.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the shelf extended. I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of the refrigerator showing the extended shelf in side elevation.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary front view of the shelf.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross section on the line 66 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of the rail.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the slide.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective of the shelf, showing one side member.

There is illustrated a refrigerator housing It, which may be of any usual form, having the entire front side open, as at I I, in accordance with tion, a door lZbeing shown hinged at one side.

Any usual refrigeration means may be employed in the housing It, as commonly practiced, or as may be developed.

The refrigerator shown has a rear wall it, and side walls M, each of these walls having a planiform inner surface which customarily is of sheet metal with a coating of a vitreous enamel or other corrosion-resistant material.

In such a refrigerator, any number of shelves, trays, or racks, such as indicated at [5, may be mounted by the use of my invention, two being shown in the present instance, and the mounting of one will be described.

On eachside wall l4 there is mounted a horizontal rail it which, in the present instance, is

shown as formed of a simple angle strip, which may be produced in metal or other material, including a rail flange I! extending upwardly, and a base flange 18 extending horizontally inward from the wall [4. The rail may be secured in position on the wall by any usual fastening (not shown), engaged with the flange I8, or may be secured by other means as found preferable. Slidably engaged upon each of the rails, there is a respective slide or shelf carrier M, which may be formed of wood or metal, and includes a rail-fitting rear end portion 2! having a groove 21 in its outer lateral edge, this groove being L-shaped in cross section, so that a depending retaining lip 22 is formed at the outer upper side thereof to fit beside the flange i! when the rail is engaged in the groove. The forward portion 23 of the slide is. relieved at its outer side to a distance corresponding to the horizontal depth. of the groove 2!, while on its inner side it is laterally extended as at 24, and'grooved at 25 in a form corresponding tothe groove 2! of the rear end 20. The lateral extension 24 forms a shoulder 34 at its rear and stops short of the outer end of the slide at its forward end, as at'Zt. The groove 2| is so shaped that the clearance between the lip 22 and lower side of the groove is just sufficient to receive the flange E8 of the rail slidably thereunder.

The shelf element in the present instance comprises two side members 21, between which transverse cross wires or bars 28 are extended, being fixed in the side members 2! and the side members 21 are adapted to fit in the grooves 25 of the slides l9, so that the shelf may be readily reciprocated relatively to the slides. If desired, other support means than the bars 28 may be mounted between the side members 21, in accordance with familiar practices in the production of trays, shelves and the like for refrigerators. At the rear end of each shelf a guard or fence rail 29 is mounted between the members 21, this consisting of a length of rod material having its ends bent downwardly at right angles and set in the side members 211 permanently, so that it affords an upstanding fence at the rear of the shelf, which will prevent jars, packages and the like from falling off the rear edge of the shelf.

Fixed in the extreme forward end of the flange l8 of the rail I6, there is a vertical stop pin or bar 30, so located in the flange l8 of the rail that it clears the forward end portion 23 of the slide as the latter moves forward, but will engage the shoulder 32 formed at the outer end of the section 20 of the slide, where the relieved part of the slide terminates. The side members of the shelf l5 also have respective vertical pins 31 set therein at their extreme forward or outer ends, and adjacent the extreme lateral edges of I the side members 21 so that these pins may enter the relieved end part 26 at the inner side of the forward section 23 of the respective slides. It may be noted that the outer lateral part of the rear section 2!] of each slide is of less length than one-half the length of the rail, as well as less than one-half the length of the slide itself, and this portion of the slide may be made even shorter in proportion to the total lengths of the parts, if found desirable. The depending flange 33 at the upper side of groove 25 limits the bearing area, and minimizes friction between shelf and slide.

In the installation of my shelf, the respective rails l6 may be put in place while separated from the remainder of the apparatus, and then, the pin 30 being removed, the shelf, with the slide assembled thereon at each side in the manner shown in the several figures is introduced by presenting the rear end of the slide [9 so as to receive the flanges l1 and I8 in each groove 21. The shelf may then be moved slidably to its rearmost position in the refrigerator, as shown in Figure 2, and the pins 30 replaced. When the shelf is grasped by the forward bar 28 and pulled forwardly, it moves slidably in the slides l9 until the rail 29 engages the rear shoulder 34 of the inwardly projected lateral portion 24 of the forward part 23 of the slide, the downturned ends of the rail being set outwardly of the members 21 a proper distance for this purpose. Further movement of the shelf then draws the slides forwardly, until they are checked by engagement of the shoulders 32 against the pins 30. On return movement of the shelf, pressure being supplied to its forward edge portion, it again moves slidably in the slides l9 until the pins 3| engage the shoulders at the offset 26, whereupon the slides are moved by the pins 3! rearwardly as the shelf is pushed in, until the parts again come to rest at the position shown in Figure 2.

While the shelf is in extended position as shown in Figure 3, it is supported securely by the ample length of the section 20 of the slides engaged with the rail I6, and by the corresponding ample length of the section 23 and grooved offset portion 24 in which the side members 21 of the shelf are engaged. These side members are shown as of sufliciently substantial form to support some weight at the forward part of the shelf beyond the slides, as will be readily understood.

In case it is desired to remove the shelf, this may be accomplished by removal of the pins and drawing of the shelf and slide assembly entirely out of the refrigerator and clear of the rail [6, after which the slide members may be separated from the shelf by being drawn laterally therefrom at any part of the members 21 of the shelf. Until the pins 30 are removed,

the slides are held in position with the rail l6 so engaged therein that they may not move to a diagonal position, so that no accidental lateral movement of the forward parts of the slide members so as to disengage the shelf can occur normally.

While I hav shown and described with great particularity a specific embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that this is exemplary, and that various changes in form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts, substitution of equivalents, and other obvious expedients may be carried out without departing from the spirit of the invention, as more particularly set forth in the claim hereto appended.

I claim:

A shelf mounting for refrigerators and the like,

.comprising side wall rails for a storage compartment, respective slides thereon, each consisting of an inner end portion grooved on its lateral outer side to fit slidably on the respective rail, said slides b'eing relieved on their lateral sides forwardly of the grooved portions defining shoulders and including forward portions having in her laterally extended grooved parts stopping short of the forward end forming a shoulder, a shelf longitudinally slidable in the last named grooved parts, stop means on the rails and shelf cooperable with respective shoulders to limit relative sliding movement of the slidable engaged parts, and said shelf being also provided with a rear stopmember, consisting of a transverse guard element spaced above the shelf and having downturned ends set in the side members of the shelf in position to engage a shoulder of the slides when the shelf is moved to the forward limit of its movement on the slides.

WILLIS B. DIBBLE. 

